Abstract

New Brighton is a seaside town located within the peninsula of the Wirral. It is an area that has recently undergone a major redevelopment, where it has incorporated modern approaches as the spine of the development. The purpose of this study is to find out if people’s perception changed throughout the development process by using older people as the focus of the study. The reason why older people were chosen as the focus subject is because they have been highly neglected in studies of this kind in recent years, meaning that this study will help provide knowledge that is not known in great detail amongst existing literature, which will hopefully act as a foundation for the potential of future research within this field. The research methods used to gain the information needed for this study came in the form of interviews and focus groups, where charts representing quantitative data are shown. The results were then examined by using qualitative methods to provide a richer and more detailed analysis of the research. The most important findings within this study show that seaside regeneration can lead to significant benefits within the community with the creation of jobs and local businesses, where the heritage of the area can also become reinvented through the centre point of the development itself. It is also apparent from this study that there are specific features that people look for when deciding upon which seaside resort to go to, which again adds to and supports existing literature on the subject.